Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls
This holiday twist on cinnamon rolls are filled with cranberry orange sauce and drizzled with a sweet orange icing. Not only are they soft and delicious, it’s another great way to use leftover cranberry sauce. Extremely versatile – these rolls can be baked immediately, prepped the night before, or frozen and baked later.
Equipment
- oven
- mixer
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour*
- 1½ cups white whole wheat flour*
- 2¼ tsp instant yeast**
- ½ cup unsweetened plain non-dairy milk heated to 130-140° F
- ½ cup fresh orange juice room temperature
- ½ cup applesauce
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1½ cups Cranberry Orange Sauce
Orange Drizzle Icing (optional)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl, combine the flour and yeast. Pour in the milk, orange juice, apple sauce, and salt.
- Mix on low speed until combined until dough forms and leaves side of the bowl, about 1-2 minutes total. Add in 1-2 Tbsp flour of flour, only if needed. Alternatively, knead the dough by hand for 2-3 minutes.
- Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 to 1½ hours.
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- Roll the dough out on a clean lightly floured surface using a rolling pin to create a large rectangle shape about 15 inches wide x 20 inches long and about ¼ inch thick.
- Spread the Cranberry Orange Sauce in an even layer over the dough.
- Starting with a shorter end, roll the dough to create a log. With the seam facing down, use dental floss (or a serrated knife) to cut the dough in 1¼ to 1½ inch sections. You should have 11-12 pieces.
- Transfer each sweet roll in a greased casserole dish with about 1 inch between each roll to allow expansion. Cover the sweet rolls with two clean kitchen towels.
Baking Options
To Bake Immediately:
- Heat the oven to 350° F while the rolls rise. After the oven has reached temperature and the sweet rolls have doubled in size, bake for 25-30 minutes, until fully cooked. The filling should be bubbly.
Overnight Proofing.
- If you want to bake the sweet rolls in the morning, place them in refrigerator to rise overnight. When ready to bake in the morning, take the pan out of the refrigerator while heating the oven to 350° F. Once the oven has reached temperature, bake the sweet rolls for 25-30 minutes, until slightly golden.
To Freeze:
- cover the sweet rolls immediately with plastic wrap and foil, then place the pan in the freezer. The day before you want to bake the cinnamon rolls, transfer them to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Once thawed completely, remove the plastic wrap and foil. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow the rolls to come to room temperature. Heat the oven to 350° F and bake the sweet rolls for 25-30 minutes, until slightly golden.
- While the sweet rolls are baking, make the icing, if using. In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and orange juice. Set aside.
- Remove the sweet rolls from the oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before drizzling with icing and serving. These are best enjoyed the same morning/day they are made.
Notes
* I like using a 50-50 mixture of King Arthur white whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour; but feel free to use any whole grain flour or all-purpose flour. If you use different flours, you may need to use less/more milk. All all-purpose flour will result in a lighter, fluffier roll.
** I use SAF instant yeast. This recipe uses one packet or 2¼ tsp instant yeast. If you can’t find it in your local grocery store, you can use rapid-rise or order yeast on Amazon via subscribe and save. I keep a small portion of yeast in the refrigerator; the rest is stored in a freezer bag or jar in the freezer. Yeast stores and keeps extremely well in the freezer.